Apparatus causing artificial snowfall



Dec. 10, 1968 J. BURNBAUM I APPARATUS CAUSING ARTIFICIAL SNOWFALL Filed Jan. 27. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J n i 4 INVENTOR.

Dec. 10, 1968 Y J. BURNBAUM 3,415,512

APPARATUS CAUSING ARTIFICIAL SNOWFALL Filed Jan. 27, 1967' 2 Sheets-Sheet :2

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dun/e7 United States Patent 3,415,512 APPARATUS CAUSING ARTIFICIAL SNOWFALL Jack Burnbaum, Newton, Mass., assignor to Bradford Novelty Co., Inc., Cambridge, Mass, a corporation Filed Jan. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 612,257 6 Claims. (Cl. 272-) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for causing artificial snowfall having an inverted cone collecting receptacle for snow particles, an electrically operated blower, supported on the cones slanting wall, to blow artificial snowflakes upwardly through an upright conduit to a deflector rotatably supported by said tube and being rotated by air from the blower impinging upon its inner surface. Said snow particles thereafter fall into said receptacle and again are similarly blown upwardly, said movement being repeated indefinitely.

Reference is made to my pending patent application, Ser. No. 572,747, filed Aug. 16, 1966, for Apparatus To Cause Artificial Snowfall.

An outstanding problem in using such apparatus was to provide a continuous, artificial snowfall without the need of human intervention for a relatively long period, such as one-half a day or more, hence the principal object of my invention is to provide apparatus that assures a continuous movement of snow particles, repeatedly blowing them upwardly to a point where they are dispersed and will fall downwardly and thence return to a predetermined point without manual or mechanical assistance, for an indefinite period of time.

Another object is to provide deflector means at the top of my apparatus that is rotated by means of a delivery conduit supplying air and snow particles, and which may carry an ornament, hence an attractive movement is provided by utilizing the normal movement of said air and particles.

The foregoing and other objects, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disc'osed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but I am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an artificial Christmas tree in combination with apparatus to cause artificial snowfall.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, top plain view of the motor and blower equipment used to operate my apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, side elevational view of said motor and blower equipment.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view, enlarged, showing deflector means used in my apparatus together with supporting parts connected thereto.

As illustrated, snow display apparatus .10 is shown in connection with a Christmas tree, either artificial or real, that has a trunk or support 11 from which tree branches 12 extend laterally. Said trunk is maintained in position by a well-known tree stand 14 having legs 16 attached to a collar 18 that receives said trunk 11, the latter being held by a screw 20.

Actuating means 22 causes movement of the artificial particles S, sometimes herein referred to as snowflakes. Said means 22 has an electric motor 24 provided with "ice supporting means shown as legs 25, and an exterior screen 26 to permit entry of air. An electrical wire 27 supplies electrical current to said motor 24. Said legs 25 penetrate the wall 33 of a collecting receptacle 34, later described, to firmly support the motor in a predetermined position.

A well-known blower 28 for said actuating means is joined to and operably connected to said motor 24 and it has an air inlet pipe 30 and air inlet opening 31. A receiving conduit 32 for snow particles, which preferably is flexible, extends from said blower to a lower part of a slanting, circular wall or side 33 of a collecting receptacle 34 shown in the form of an inverted cone having a vertex or converging point 35 and which may be made of cardboard, stiff paper as other material. Said conduit 32 extends to a point closely adjacent said vertex 35 where it picks up the snow particles S that are received by said receptacle and which have passed down and piled up around the lowest point thereof or around said vertex 35. Since said conduit 32 extends to the point where particles pile up the latter are drawn into it and thence pass through said conduit 30 into said blower 28.

Outlet means embodies an outlet member 36 that communicates with said blower 28 and also with a delivery conduit 38 extending upwardly alongside said trunk .11. A collar 40 is attached to said delivery conduit 38 and is integral with an attaching bracket 41 that is attached to said tree trunk 11. A collar 42 is slidably mounted on an outlet portion 43 of said delivery conduit 38, which outlet portion preferably slats diagonally upwardly from said collar 42. Thus air coming out of said outlet portion 43 will strike the inner surface of a deflector 46, later described, at a slight angle, causing it to rotate.

Above and spaced from said tree trunk 11 is deflector means 44 that assures the return of the snow particles S to said receptacle. Said means 44 has a deflector 46 shown as a truncated cone preferably provided with vanes 48 at its lower edge to promote rotation of said means when air impinges upon them. At the top of said cone 46 is a pivot member 50 having a recess 52 in which a diamond chip 54 or other wear resisting member is set.

Connection between said delivery conduit 38 and said deflector means 44 is effected by a wire support or mounting member 56 attached at one end to said collar 42 as by cement or tape and which provides an upper pointed end 58 that is received in said recess 52 and by said diamond chip 54. An electric light bulb 60 is supplied with electrical current from an outside source, not shown, through connection to a we'll-known wire 62 supported by said support 56. Above said deflector means 44 is an ornament 64, shown as a wreath, which is attached to said deflector cone 46 as by an adhesive. The latter is merely ornamental and rotates with said deflector means 44. Said bulb is directly opposite the outlet 43 of said de1ivery conduit.

An open base 66 resting on a floor may be used to directly support said receptacle 34. The ends of said base 66, as shown, are bent and extend through slots 70 formed in said receptacle Wall 33 to provide a firm attachment.

In operation, suflicient snow particles S are supplied to said receptacle 34 to provide a continuous, simulated snowfall. Said electric motor 24 is started and said particles S are drawn into said conduit 32 and into said blower 28 and thence into said delivery conduit 38 from which they are discharged against said bulb 60 and into the interior of said deflector 46. Since said delivery conduit outlet portion 43 extends diagonally air strikes the inner surface or side of said deflector 46 at a slight angle, causing it to rotate. Said vanes 48 also aid in speeding the rate of rotation.

Thence the snow particles S fall from said deflector 46 through the branches of said tree 11 into the interior of said receptacle where they pass down its slanting wall 33 to the lowest point or to the vertex 35, where they again are drawn into said conduit 32 to repeat the aforesaid operation.

Either a natural or artificial Christmas tree will serve the purpose. If an artificial tree is used the trunk could be hollow and serve as the supply conduit. If no tree were used an artificial snowfall would be shown with said delivery conduit 38. If a deflector means were used in that event the support for the deflector means would be said delivery conduit 38.

Said snowflakes S are preferably provided in the form of plastic pellets which may be round or at least have a curved surface portion so they will roll or slide freely on a downgrade surface such as the wall of said receptacle 34 and not tend to accumulate in a place away from the mouth of said receiving conduit 32.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus to cause artificial snowfall comprising a collecting receptacle for artificial snowflakes having a downwardly and inwardly slanting side wall being unapertured adjacent the lowest point thereof, blower actuating means within and supported by said receptacle, said actuating means embodying inlet means and outlet means, delivery conduit means communicating with said outlet means adapted to respectively receive and discharge said artificial snowflakes upon actuation of said actuating means, deflector means positioned above and supported by said delivery conduit means and said receptacle adapted to deflect said snowflakes passing out of said delivery conduit means whereby the snowflakes return by gravity to the collecting receptacle, said actuating means having a motor positioned on said slanting side wall inter-mediate the upper and lower extremities thereof, said inlet means embodying a receiving conduit within said receptacle extending to a point adjacent the lowest point of said receptacle and said artificial snowflakes being in the form of pellets having curved surface portions so shaped as to move downwardly on said side wall.

2. Apparatus to cause artificial snowfall as set forth in claim 1, said receptacle being of substantially pyramid shape having an apex that constitutes the bottom of said pyramid in position of use, said receiving conduit terminating at a point adjacent, but spaced from, said apex.

3. Apparatus to cause artificial snowfall as set forth in claim 1, said receiving conduit being elongate and extending substantially diagonally downward from said actuating means and above said side wall.

4. Apparatus to cause artificial snowfall as set forth in claim 1, said means embodying a motor having supporting legs extending through said side wall.

5. Apparatus to cause artificial snowfall as set forth in claim .1, and a tree stand having supporting legs, the latter resting on said slanting side wall at points spaced upwardly from the bottom extremity of said receptacle.

6. Apparatus to cause artificial snowfall comprising a collecting receptacle for artificial snowflakes having a downwardly and inwardly slanting side wall being unapertured adjacent the lowest point thereof, blower actuating means within and supported by said receptacle, said actuating means embodying inlet means and outlet means, delivery conduit means communicating with said outlet means adapted to respectively receive and discharge said artificial snowflakes upon actuation of said actuating means, said actuating means having a motor positioned on said slanting side wall intermediate the upper and lower extremities thereof, said inlet means embodying a receiving conduit within said receptacle extending to a point adjacent the lowest point of said receptacle and said artificial snowflakes being in the form of pellets having curved surface portions so shaped as to move downwardly on said side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 832,445 10/1906 Avery et al. 4040 901,319 10/1908 Bruen 272-15 1,891,797 12/1932 Chase et al. 40-40 3,147,175 9/1964 Gonzalez 16l22 3,340,634 9/1967 Frois 4039 FOREIGN PATENTS 701,037 12/1953 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Magazine entitled Garden Pools Fountains & Waterfalls second printing, May 1965, page 63. Published by Lane Magazine & Book Company, Menlo Park, California.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

ARNOLD W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl.X.R. 

